In 2016, the Alpine Initiative handed over its archive (with annual reports and accounts, correspondence, files on actions and campaigns, topic dossiers and printed matter) to the Swiss Social Archives. The holdings can be consulted in the reading room of the Swiss Social Archive without any restrictions on use.
Schweizerisches Sozialarchiv
The Alpine initiative rejects the Swiss government’s bill on climate policy. In the area of freight transport, urgent measures have to be taken in order to achieve the climate goals. However, such proposals are largely lacking, although transport is responsible for 40 percent of Switzerland’s CO2 emissions.
The fourth “Alpine Week” was held in the Bavarian Alpine foothills. If offered participants the opportunity to exchange their experiences, challenges and ideas on the Alpine region. The Alpine Initiative informed the participants about the Freight Transfer Policy in Switzerland and its own requests.
Our work is bearing fruit. The number of transalpine truck trips is continuing to decrease. With additional measures such as a CO2 limit for trucks and the introduction of an Alpine Crossing Exchange, the goal of a maximum of 650,000 transalpine truck trips per year can be reached. The Gotthard base tunnel is available and has sufficient rail capacity.
This year, the Alpine Initiative lit its traditional warning bonfire on the Simplon Pass. Every day, the pass is crossed by trucks carrying hazardous goods such as fuel oil and solvents. In September, the Swiss National Council recognized the dangerous situation as such for the first time. It asked the Swiss government to examine a rail transport solution for the transport of hazardous goods over the Simplon Pass.
At the beginning of June, the SBB opens the new Gotthard rail base tunnel. Before it is traversed by the first commercial freight train, SBB CEO Andreas Meyer underlines the importance of this pioneering project: “What counts is not the infrastructure, but only what we make of it.” We can now finally transfer goods from road to rail!
Three months after the adoption of the second bore, the Alpine Initiative asks the Swiss Minister of Transport, Doris Leuthard, to transfer goods from road to rail. Its General Assembly in Schwyz adopts a resolution that requests the increase of the HGV charge and negotiations on an Alpine Crossing Exchange with the EU and the Alpine countries.
At its annual media conference, the Alpine Initiative illustrates, using a study by Heinz Pulver, that all goods can be transported across the Alps by rail. Rail capacity suffices both to reach the transfer goal and to set up a temporary piggyback transport system during the renovation of the Gotthard road tunnel.
After an intensive referendum campaign, the Alpine Initiative has to accept defeat on 28 February 2016. 57.0% of the Swiss electorate vote in favour of a second bore for the Gotthard road tunnel. This makes it all the more important for the association to dedicate itself to the long overdue implementation of the transfer goal.
At the beginning of January, the “No to a second bore at the Gotthard” association launches its referendum campaign with a media conference. In the broad alliance against the second bore, the Alpine Initiative joins forces with 50 other organisations. Together, they want to prevent Switzerland descending into transit hell and undermining the investment made in the new Gotthard rail base tunnel.
By failing to increase the HGV charge in the past, the Swiss government has squandered a total of 2.75 billion Swiss francs, or rather, given them away to the truck lobby. In the new transfer report, it finally promises the long overdue increase in the HGV charge.